Recent studies have shown the state of Iowa is home to a majority Protestant population. As of 2010, this group was comprised of a nearly equal ratio of Mainline and Evangelical Protestants, with a large membership of Catholics the next-largest group in the state. Iowa shows significant growth in the number of followers in these denominations specifically, over the last decade.

The Southern Baptist Convention, Converge Worldwide/Baptist General Conference, and the Evangelical Free Church of America added a combined total of over 50 congregations in Iowa between 2000 and 2010. Protestants, specifically Methodists and Lutherans, are especially dominant in the most-populated urban areas of the state, though the Catholic Church has the most members in Dubuque county, home to the archdiocese, as well as other counties housing major cities in Iowa.

Education in Iowa

The state of Iowa is home to several Christian colleges of note, with some Iowa Christian colleges even ranking among the top Christian universities in the nation. Iowa holds the distinction of showing the highest increase in college enrollment in the entire U.S. between 2005 and 2010, at 67.7%. Northwestern College is an exemplary school offering comprehensive programs in religion, Christian education and youth ministry, and music ministry among its many diverse liberal arts majors. Northwestern also features a burgeoning collection of online courses, certificates, and endorsements for distance learners.

Here, NC believes “exploration of faith should be part of learning,” and proudly reports the school’s repeatedly high rankings in education quality surveys in U.S. News and World ReportForbes.com, and The Princeton Review.

Christian colleges in Iowa and other Christian schools around the country continue to pursue innovative methods of delivering high-quality education to students that have made faith and worship high priorities in their higher learning experience.

Working in Iowa

Although Iowa’s farming history supports its local nickname as the “food capital of the world”, the labor force in the state is predominantly non-farm-oriented. As of May 2012, trade, transportation, and utilities industries, as well as government, employed the most Iowans, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Education and health services offered the next-highest employment in the state that year. The Census Bureau reports that over one third of Iowa’s labor force held occupations in management, business, science, and arts occupations from 2007-2011, while over 24% of the remaining workers had sales and office jobs.

Learn about the top Christian colleges in Iowa below: